Touch controllers - Hoping for an updated version

Hey guys, I think I've had my Rift + Touch Controllers for a year now, not sure, maybe longer. Like most people on these forums I really love VR and think the Rift and Touch controllers are amazing.

Having said that, it would be nice if they update and release a new version of the Touch Controllers in the future. I think the circle part that wraps around your knuckles and fingers should be bigger next time, I have really big hands and sometimes it gets in the way in certain games. It's hard to explain but I think it should be 2-3 inches wider.

And the 2nd thing is, I always seem to be changing batteries, would be nice if it had the latest tech in batteries, like internal, recharge from PC with USB and lasted a longer time. Even wireless charging but would be nice but I guess that's asking for a lot.

As the first iteration of a new invention for new VR technology the touch controllers are a great start, but with a few updates I think they could be so much better.

Comments

They are perfect the way they are for me, but I can understand making the ring a bit bigger for people that have larger hands sizes or move the ring a bit more forward.

As for the battery - no. Rechargeable internal ones means you have to wait every time you want to use them and that feels bad when you forget to charge it up the night before. I had the PS move wands and yea xD had to always plan a day a head if you wanted to use them. With current - I can just replace with my rechargeables instead and never have a problem.

They are perfect the way they are for me, but I can understand making the ring a bit bigger for people that have larger hands sizes or move the ring a bit more forward.

As for the battery - no. Rechargeable internal ones means you have to wait every time you want to use them and that feels bad when you forget to charge it up the night before. I had the PS move wands and yea xD had to always plan a day a head if you wanted to use them. With current - I can just replace with my rechargeables instead and never have a problem.

What if we had wireless charging pad designed specifically for touch controllers though? That wouldn't be a hassle? Every time your finished playing and you put them on your desk they automatically charge? That wouldn't be difficult?

And batteries have come a long way now, they should easily be able to make it so we only need to charge once a week or even once a month? We shouldn't have to charge every day.

With the current method, I know you think it's easy, but I always forget and have to go to shop to buy batteries, and batteries are expensive, I must spend £50 per year on batteries?

my mate has a vive.... should he happen to forget to charge them before use and it comes to gaming he is crap out of luck....... OTOH my touch batteries last for literally months without me having to recharge them, and even when i do its just a slip in, slip out of the back up ones and i am good to go after 2 mins faffing.

its one reason why i prefer the xbox pad to both my ps3 and ps4 pads as well.... i am constantly having to have the sony pads plugged in when i want to use them. built in batteries suck imo, and if you find yourself changing them too often, consider buying better batteries?

I like that I can use rechargeable batteries in my controllers - I always a have two charged and ready to go and swap out as I need. Besides the Touch controllers are really efficient with their battery use - I haven't tracked the days between charges but it is at least a few weeks and I use them daily. It also means that I don't have to worry about the internal battery ever failing and having to get a replacement controller.

Rechargeable batteries are an utter pain as someone has already said - it's a nightmare if nobody has bothered to plug the wands in at work. As for slight modifications - that would be great, maybe shave a few ounces of the weight too.

They can improve on them for one reason for me: they start clacking after a while, and pretty soon. I think you all know about the rubber pad getting loose on the trigger. I had it happen to my first set, both triggers. I bouth an extra Touch set just for the sensor but started using them as they are new and do'nt clack. Now after a few months of use, these have started clacking too.

Now that I think of it, I can try to fix my first set now, risk free, as I have a backup set.

My right controller's top trigger has recently started feeling stuck - it still works but it sounds really loud and there is some extra resistance on it, is it the rubber pad thing I have glanced about in a few threads? If so - should I worry about it, it hasn't given me any trouble other than being slightly annoying. My left trigger is fine.

I agree with leaving the batteries as is, dead controllers due to flat batteries a minute later full batteries in the controllers , I use rechargeable so negligible running cost once purchased plus you will often find other uses for them.

The ring I would like as small as possible ie. as is, for clearance when using ie. H3VR and less banging on the furniture as closer to your hands.

I usually have a spare set of fully recharged batteries handy to hot swap, the only time I didn't was recently playing Skyrim VR and thanks to my awesome 15 minute charger I was killing bandits again in no time.

Having chargeable batteries like the Vive controllers or PlayStation controllers would be a MAJOR pain in the arse. No thanks!

"This you have to understand. There's only one way to hurt a man who's lost everything. Give him back something broken."

I also have large hands and the current touch controllers are perfect the way they are.

I use ONLY Duracell normal batteries and I use my rift on a daily basis. In the year that I’ve had my Rift I’ve only had to change them ONCE.

honestly i am no tree hugger..... but i just do not understand why poeple would dream of using anything other than high capacity slow discharge batteries for 90% of things which use AA or AAA. its cheaper in the medium term (way cheaper long term) and is much more environmentally savvy

Im glad the battery is removable, I use Eneloop Pro 2550mah batteries, last about a month of solid use.

Once they die, I can quickly swap out the batteries with a freshly charged pair, and put the dead ones in charge, that means I am never caught without power. I hope they don't have an internal battery. Batteries lose efficiency over time. Once the internal battery wears out, you'd have to buy a new controller.

I don't think we're going to see updated Touch controllers when the CV2 releases next year. There's absolutely no need to track those other two fingers as I've mentioned before unless you're posh and drinking tea from a tea cup or a headbanger doing the Heavy Metal sign.

I just can't see the sense in having updated Touch controllers. The manufacturing cost must be as cheap as chips now, why update them with tracking for the other two fingers when you'll raise the production costs and have extra tracking that most developers won't even use..? Hell, you can turn them into Knuckles controllers by spending 30 dollars on those grip things if you really want to let the things go without throwing or dropping them.

"This you have to understand. There's only one way to hurt a man who's lost everything. Give him back something broken."

I want the next generation of hand presence in VR to coincide with a truly next gen VR experience (something that gets us closer to that Lawnmower Man presence of true mobility and tactility in a VR space).

For the CV2 - I'd be happy if they just continued refining the current design.

What would be the point? I can't think of a single real life occasion where you use those two untracked fingers apart from making a fist or gripping something, and the Touch controllers already have those sorted.

"This you have to understand. There's only one way to hurt a man who's lost everything. Give him back something broken."

What would be the point? I can't think of a single real life occasion where you use those two untracked fingers apart from making a fist or gripping something, and the Touch controllers already have those sorted.

Agreed, why make it more complex than necessary? I just need a reasonably priced, reliable VR input device that does what's needed.

The only thing I would upgrade for the touch is the tracking it self. Higher resolution and FOV cameras so as to have higher accuracy when tracking the controllers. Maybe do some of the calculation on the camera itself as to lower the bandwidth requirements and increase the speed of that data hitting the CPU. They could even use the cameras for body tracking as well at that point.

Other than that really - I can't really think of what else you would add the the Touch controllers. Maybe a bigger ring - I can't see how that would affect anything or anyone really other than help people with a little larger hand. It would add a tiny bit of weight - but I don't think anyone would really notice it. Maybe offer it in different colors:)? Pink!:D I'm sure others would love it. Really, I just can't think what else you would change. Maybe make the ring replacable? That is usually what takes the most punishment, so having the ability to replace the ring for a larger or small one might be a worthy change for some? Maybe one more button (x,y,z) for some other menu support options, but I would really encourage UI changes to support more hand gestures and pointing options if that was the case.

I had an idea a while back - instead of touch controllers - what about a touch keyboard instead? It just be a basic tablet like keyboard that has buttons - but in VR you see what each button is to a letter (for spanish, english, etc) or control pad. It just be something you have in your pocket until you need it - but it would help with the problem of not having a keyboard in front of you. Most people wouldn't use it though and use voice - but it wouldn't cost that much to make and it just be a addon that could just be bought on the side so wouldn't need to make much stock for it unless it takes off.

Something like this but half the size - there wouldn't be anything on it - it be blank irl, but in VR it would show letters and you can swipe the top for different keys or other charters. In games you could have it display UI options or maybe um like a PDA where some of the buttons have actions then like going to different menu options, playing video, etc. Then again it would feel a bit gimmkey to some and if software doesn't support it - yea.. but as an option I don't think it would go to total waste.

POWER - we should be using power recharging over WiFi as was discovered in 2011 for mobile phones yet "mysteriously" never got released yet! It is used for Light power though coming soon!!!

I really like our Touch Controllers and great value. If too small then cut them up to suit! Or build a 3D Printed bigger casing?

The controllers are not used to their full extent on many titles. I really hate not being able to re-map them in Games/APPs e.g. Google Earth's crap turn by dragging (wtf?!) and no use of the joystick X-Axis (wtff?!)How many if any make use of the tactile thumb sensors? Plus all of those buttons are fully tactile and know you are TOUCHING them including the A/BX/Y buttons. These are hidden switches even before you actually press them too!!!

I swear by eneloops. Got some for a power hungry camera and was easily converted. Now everything I have that required AA or AAA batteries is using high-capacity eneloops.

Mentioned this before, but I have had my Touch about 18 months now and have changed the batteries once. That was when the originals were changed for eneloops. they are still going strong (I do fly mostly, so I don't use Touch every day - but often enough). Most batteries would need throwing out now, even if the Touch hadn't been used in all that time.

Am glad the OP isn't in charge of design at oculus. That would be a step backwards in all regards.

To me the touch controllers, for what they are, are almost perfect. Size and functionality wise. I imagine hands large enough to be a problem for them is quite the minority, and sizing them up for that small demographic would make them more clunky for everyone else, they would bang together more often when doing fine VR interaction where your hands are close!

As for batteries being built in an USB chargeable? no thanks! Been there with Playstation and Vive, what a pain. Sounds good on paper, never is in practice.

On my ex-vive, the wands had to be plugged in every time I stopped playing or they would be flat when I wanted to play. Which usually meant if I forgot, or if they died mid game, I had to just not play. What a stupid flaw. Also plugging in USB charging cables is the bane of my life. I hate it.

I use eneloop rechargeable AA batteries for my touch controllers, they are perfect. Because they hold a charge for a long time. A pack of 10 is quite cheap. They come pre-charged, but anyway charge them up and they are ready to go for a long time. On top of that I find the AA battery in touch lasts a lot longer than the built in battery in Vive wands did. A LOT longer, sometimes weeks!

And when it's time to change the batteries, the easily removable cover slides off, eneloop goes in, and back to VR within minutes! What's not to like? Those eneloops are great. If you're using lesser rechargeables then maybe it would be more annoying, or if you were constantly buying non rechargables.

I hope they keep them just as they are for gen 2 also, so everything works the same, but give us additional controls like gloves that could be used *WITH* touch controllers for the times you need something physical in hand.

Conversely, I found the vive wands to be awful, stupid and clunky, except for one or two cases. And I hate touchpads.

Until Valve/Steam VR gives up on touchpads I'll never buy their jank again.